The Place Where There is Water
by Nentikobe
Summary: After a terrible explosion, the members of AVALANCHE try to deal with the reality that Cloud may be dead. Can an already departed friend help them? Quite Tifacentric. Set during AC. Rated T for language.
1. Accident

This story started out as the prologue to another that I am working on. But then it became so long-winded that I eventually decided to make it into a one-shot. Well, then it became too long for even that, and so now it is a multi-chapter story.

**Disclaimer: I do not own the copyrights to Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, or the book quoted in this fic. I do, however, own any and all original content. It is expected that you, the reader, know the difference.**

**I'm also a dirt-poor college student and am making no money off of this! Please be nice…**

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**The Place Where There is Water.**

**by Nentikobe**

_Now with his horn Assalam struck a barren rock, piercing it to a great depth, and drew forth a gushing spring of life. Wherever those waters flowed, fires were quenched and the Earth was made fertile with a multitude of fruitful things. Great trees rose up and blossomed, and under their shade came beasts both wild and tame. All this was by the intent of the Holy One, and the Unicorn was the instrument of His will. In such a way was formed the Garden of the Unicorn, called Shamagim, which means the Place Where There is Water._

_Unicornis: On the History and Truth of the Unicorn  
__annotated by Michael Green_

**Part One**

He'd done it.

"You just have to put your mind to it! A little push is what he needs, that's all!" Tifa had said to them.

Everyone on the bridge of the Sierra danced and cheered as Cid tried to yell at them all to settle down. Tifa was inclined to join in on the fun, but then something caught her eye.

A water droplet had fallen from the ceiling. The young dark haired woman looked up and stared at the new one that was forming there. She thought she saw a face reflected on the new droplet's surface. It was a smiling face, accompanied by a presence she hadn't felt in just over two years.

Tifa knew exactly who it was. Who else would it be?

"Somehow, I knew you were there. You never left us, did you?" she asked of the water droplet.

A feeling of intense joy radiated through the bridge. Tifa smiled.

"Thank you," she told the water droplet.

She turned to look out the window at the roof of the building below them. Standing upon it she could see the figure of Cloud Strife. He seemed to finally be at peace. Even from this distance, she could tell that the blonde man's head was leaning back, exposing his face to the gentle rain that fell from the sky.

It was a beautiful sight, for more reasons than one.

Tifa turned around to face her companions and finally joined in on their celebrating. She neither heard nor saw what was happening below. It wasn't until the explosion that anyone realized something was wrong.

It was a sound she and Barret knew all too well from their days as members of the anti ShinRa group AVALANCHE. The entire air ship shook and the bridge was filled with a bright light. In an instant Tifa was back at the window, Yuffie standing beside her looking just as horrified as Tifa felt.

"Cloud!" Tifa cried.

This wasn't happening. This couldn't be real.

It still didn't feel like it was. Even when, not very much later, she stood in front of the ruins of the building, staring up at the crumbling remains surrounded by the remnants of the once magnificent metropolis Midgar, which was now nothing more than a ghost city.

"I wouldn' get too close if I were you. Whole damn thing could fall apart any minute," came a voice from beside her. When she turned her head she saw that it was Cid, whose arrival had gone unnoticed by her. "Best ta leave this to the pros, huh?"

Tifa didn't reply, but merely turned her attention back to the large structure before her. The heat and vibration of the blast had caused a good part of the upper fourth of the building to cave in on itself. It was a strangely eerie site, given the location. Most the buildings around them lay in ruins as well, evidence of Meteor's impact two years previous.

It felt oddly like standing in a graveyard at night.

The comparison wasn't too far off, either. Many people had died here on that fateful day two years ago, and as the sun set in the glowing western sky, Tifa couldn't help but think that perhaps more had now, too. Including…no, she wouldn't think that. She closed her eyes and shook her head, allowing it to dip forward.

"You okay, Tifa?" asked Yuffie, who had come up on her other side opposite Cid. The girl's voice seemed small and weak, which was very unlike her usual demeanor.

Tifa opened her eyes and looked up. "Yeah."

There came the sound of footsteps, and beyond Yuffie Tifa could see the approaching figure of Reeve Tuesti, head of the W.R.O. The shift in her glance caught Yuffie's attention, and she, too, turned around to see the man. He was wearing a black raincoat, despite the rain having stopped some twenty minutes previous.

"Have your teams all arrived yet?" Tifa asked, rushing passed Yuffie and up to Reeve.

Reeve nodded. "They are all assembling down at the tent about to be briefed by the Turks."

"I still can't believe they're helping," Yuffie frowned.

"Yes, well, ShinRa has been looking for excuses to cleanse its name. Not only that, but they are the also the most highly educated on the situation at hand. We have no choice but to trust their guidance. I'm not about to send my people into such a dangerous situation without knowledge."

"Fuck! Cloud could be layin' in there and you're just a wastin' time about it!" Cid spat.

"Believe me, I'm doing the best I can. But these things can't be rushed. Not even for Cloud."

Reeve realized the harshness of his words and looked at Tifa. She lowered her head again and was surprised when she saw legs in black shoes and suit pants appear in her line of site. A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder, and when she looked up again, she saw soft brown eyes staring into her own.

"I'm sorry. It's all I can do."

Tifa swallowed hard and nodded. "I know." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Come, it's time for the briefing."

The members of the W.R.O. had hastily set up a large canopy to serve as a make-shift base furnished complete with tables, chairs and radio equipment. As the four of them made their way over to where everyone was gathered, Reeve turned to Tifa and said, "You may also want to speak with Rufus and the Turks after the briefing."

"Why is that?" she asked.

"They have some interesting news to report. Especially Rufus. Either way, you will find out in due time."

Upon reaching the tent, Tifa, Yuffie, and Cid each went over to stand off to the side with Barret, Vincent, and Red XIII. Reeve took a stance next to Rufus Shinra, who sat in a wheelchair up front.

Tseng, the leader of the Turks, stood in front of the W.R.O. workers, gesturing towards a group of surveillance photos pinned up on a bulletin board. The other usual three, Reno, Rude, and Elena, stood behind him on the sides of the board, their demeanor much more serious than Tifa had ever witnessed them to be.

"What we know about the three suspects," Tseng began, "is that their names are Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz. They are brothers, or at least claim to be. They appear to be in their upper teens to early twenties. Note the distinct silver hair and the bright green eyes that glow as if affected by mako, very similar to members of SOLDIER. Their pupils appear as slits, almost as if belonging to a cat. They are each around five-foot-seven to five-foot-ten in height and very slender, with Loz having a bit more of a muscular build."

It was then that Reno stepped in. "These three are wanted with the kidnapping of children from Edge, Junon, and Wutai ("Like they've never done that," Barret commented about the Turks under his breath.), the murder of three people at a motorcycle dealership on the southern tip of the North Continent, as well as the kidnapping and torture of two adults. It's possible they may have committed other crimes as well. They are responsible for the disturbance in Monument Square earlier this afternoon, as well as the possible death of a former member of SOLDIER barely just an hour ago."

For a moment, Tifa thought that her heart had stopped beating. Certainly she knew the circumstances, the possibilities, and the probabilities, but hearing it actually said aloud stung like a thousand needles.

And Reno wasn't even a cactuar.

The red haired Turk stepped aside as Elena came up to the board, a piece of paper held tight in her hands. "Now, we have unconfirmed reports that Kadaj may be dead, killed by a man by the name of Cloud Strife." At this, Elena turned and pinned the piece of paper to the board, which turned out to be a surveillance photo of Cloud himself. How had the Turks gotten it?

"A former member of SOLDIER, he has blonde hair and blue eyes with the telltale glow of mako radiation. He stands at five-foot-seven with an athletic build. He was last seen at the top of this building before the explosion. It is possible that he may be with the three brothers, but in no way is he a threat. On the contrary, if alive he may be held against his will. We have no idea as of yet if any of these men are alive, and until we find a body nothing can be confirmed."

Red XIII's ears perked up as Vincent folded his arms and the other AVALANCHE member's faces grew wide. Tifa herself couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Unconfirmed? They had seen Kadaj die. Certainly he had to have died, and Sephiroth along with him. Right?

Elena withdrew to allow Rude to come forward, clearing his throat and adjusting his sunglasses. "Now, we also have unconfirmed reports of a fifth individual who may have partaken in the events that transpired an hour ago. A man you may know by the name of Sephiroth." A silent murmur spread through the crowd at these words as Elena pinned yet another photo onto the board, this one of Sephiroth himself. "The decorated war hero. Served as a general in the elite SOLDIER branch of the ShinRa military. He stands at six feet with long silver hair and green mako eyes just like the three brothers."

Rude then withdrew as Tseng once again stepped forward. "These three silver-haired men we have told you about, as well as Sephiroth, are considered armed and highly dangerous. They are highly skilled in both hand-to-hand and weapon combat and are not to be approached alone. If you encounter either of these four, call for backup immediately and do not engage until help arrives. Reeve?"

Reeve stepped forward to address the group. "There you have it. We've already lost an hour, so if these men are here and alive we need to find them. Also, it is of the utmost importance that you," Reeve looked over at the members of AVALANCHE, "find Cloud Strife alive." He looked back at the group. "He is considered to be a valuable witness…" The tone in Reeve's voice dropped. "…and also happens to be a very good friend of mine. You are dismissed."

The crowd split up into smaller teams with shouts of, "All right, you heard 'em!" and "Let's get going!" erupting from the mouths of their leaders.

Tifa and her friends, however, rushed forward towards Reeve, Rufus, and the Turks.

"'Unconfirmed reports?' The hell is that 'bout, man?" Barrett demanded.

"Hey, I'm just doin' my job, _man_." Reno retorted, clasping his hands behind his head.

"We saw what happened," the larger man growled, clenching his fists to intimidate the man before him.

Reno, however, was not intimidated. "What, so ya think Kadaj is dead, and Sephiroth with him? Just like how Sephiroth supposedly died two years ago? And, oh yeah, five years before that, too?"

Barret scowled, but was cut off by Vincent before he could reply. "He does have a point."

"Yes, and since it appears that the explosion in the tunnel did not finish off Yazoo and Loz, there's no telling just what it exactly it takes to kill them," Tseng added.

"But what about Cloud? You don't really think he's dead, do you?" Yuffie asked.

"Hell no. That kid can take a fuckin' beatin' and still keep right on a ticken'," Cid answered for them.

Tseng sighed. "It's nice that you all have such high hopes for your friend, but we just want to make sure we cover all the bases. We aren't jumping to any conclusions until we have the entire facts one-hundred-percent straight. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is."

Barret and Cid both glared while Yuffie bit her lip and looked toward Tifa. Tifa met her gaze for a brief instant before stepping forward to ask her own question.

"Reeve told me that you guys had some 'interesting information.' What did he mean?"

"You might wanna ask Rufus about that," Reno drawled as he cocked his head in the president's direction.

The whir of a small motor caught their attention as they all turned to see Rufus Shinra, president of ShinRa incorporated, approaching. "May I…be of some assistance?"

The rest seemed apprehensive, but Tifa approached him without hesitation. She was, admittedly, very nervous, having never directly spoken to Rufus before herself. But Tifa was never one to easily give in to fear.

"Reeve told me that I needed to talk to you. He said that you had some interesting information for me."

"He did now, did he?" Rufus seemed far too smug for the current situation. Tifa wasn't sure how to respond. But she had a feeling that he was going to toy with her first; something that she wasn't in the mood for at all.

"Out with it, will ya?" Barret finally interjected.

"Now now, where are your manners?" the president replied with a flip of his sandy-blonde hair.

"We left 'em back on my ship," Cid replied, thumbing his nose.

"Yeah!" added Yuffie.

Tifa turned to face her friends and gave them each a look that shot daggers. "Would you guys please?"

Rufus and the Turks all chuckled to themselves. "Where were you when the rain fell?"

Tifa only half turned to look at him. "We were on the airship, and then we landed and came here to find out what happened."

"You haven't talked to anyone?"

Tifa shook her head. "Just Reeve, when we called him for help."

Rufus raised his right hand and turned it so the backside was facing her. He rolled up the sleeve to reveal more skin.

"Just over an hour ago, what you would have seen here on my hand were the black markings of geostigma."

Tifa turned to face him completely while Yuffie stepped forward for a closer look.

"What happened to it?" the young ninja asked.

"The rain…washed it away," he replied, pulling his sleeve back up and lowering his arm.

"Everyone who got caught in it was cured," Elena added.

There was a moment of silence as all eyes turned to Tifa.

"I need a phone," she finally managed after a few moments.

Yuffie quickly reached into one of the pockets on her vest. "Here, use mine."

Tifa took Yuffie's cell phone and quickly dialed the private line at the 7th Heaven. It rang a few times before the answering machine picked up.

It was the voices of two laughing children. "Hi! You've reached Tifa, Cloud…"

"…Denzel…"

"…and Marlene!"

"We can't take your call, so PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE!" It ended with the sound of frantic giggles. The kids had made that recording a while ago, and Tifa never had gotten around to changing it when Cloud left.

Perhaps she hadn't wanted to.

She turned to walk away from the group as the machine beeped, signaling when she should begin her message.

"Denzel? Marlene? It's Tifa. If you guys are there please pick up the phone. I have…"

"Tifa!" Marlene chimed, sounding quite pleased that her caretaker was calling.

"Hey, sweetie. Are you guys all right?"

"Yeah, but Denzel doesn't feel good."

"What's wrong?"

"He has a headache."

"I need to talk to him. Can you give him the phone, please?"

"Okay, hang on. DENZEL! TIFA WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!"

There were muffled sounds coming from the other end, and then the distinct sound of footsteps.

"Okay, here he is!"

"Tifa?"

"Denzel, honey, are you feeling okay?"

"No. My head hurts."

Tifa's heart sank, but hope still made her ask, "Have you been outside?"

"No. Marlene and I have been in our room."

Her heart sank even lower. "So you didn't go out in the rain at all?"

"No. Why?"

"Oh, no reason."

"When are you coming home?"

Tifa paused, thinking, but within a few seconds she made up her mind. "I'm coming home right now, okay? And Barret is coming, too, so let Marlene know, okay?"

"Okay."

"And Denzel? If it rains again, I want you to go outside, okay?"

"Why?"

"I'll explain later. Just promise me that you will. And don't cover your head."

"I don't understand."

"Just please, Denzel." Tifa tried her hardest to keep the sound of desperation out of her voice, but she wondered whether it was doing any good.

"Okay, I promise."

"All right, I'll see you in a bit."

"Hey Tifa? Is Cloud coming too?"

She closed her eyes and gave a sigh. "No. I mean, not yet. But I'll be there soon. Okay?"

"Okay. Bye."

"See you soon." With that, she hung up and returned to the group.

"Are things all right at home?" Red XIII inquired.

"Denzel isn't feeling well," she replied, giving Yuffie her phone back.

"He didn't go out into the rain," said Reeve, who had joined the group in her absence. It was more of a statement than a question. Tifa didn't respond.

"One of your kids has it?" asked Reno. Tifa nodded. "Whoa, tough break for you guys."

"Don't be such an insensitive jerk!" Yuffie scolded.

"Pft I'm not!"

"Reno," Tseng warned.

Reeve approached Tifa. "Go to them. We've got everything under control here."

Tifa met his eyes. In them, Reeve could see the glistening of tears. "Yeah." She then turned to Barret. "Marlene wants to see you."

Barret nodded. "Yeah, I wanna see 'er, too."

Tifa turned back to Reeve. "Let me know if you find anything. _Anything_."

Reeve walked over to a nearby table and opened a metal case. From within he extracted a plush mechanical cat wearing a cape and a crown. "Take Cait Sith. We can keep in better contact this way. Don't leave the bar until you hear from one of us."

Tifa took the cat in her arms and held it as a child holds their favorite stuffed animal. "Thank you. I'll see you all later."

"Later," echoed Barret.

As the two of them walked away, Yuffie yelled, "We let you know as soon as we all find Cloud! I'm sure the workers will soon!"

"Hm," came a sound from somewhere behind her. It sounded oddly like it could have been a laugh.

Behind everyone stood Vincent, facing the bulletin board and examining the surveillance photos with his arms crossed in front of him.

"Vincent?" Red XIII asked.

"What's that about?" Yuffie demanded.

"Yeah, what the fuck?" added Cid.

"You can look all you want, but Reeve isn't looking for Cloud. Neither is ShinRa."

"What?" asked Reeve.

"Now see here, Valentine…" Rufus began.

The red-cloaked man turned to face them all.

"You're looking for bodies," he said to Reeve, then turned to Rufus, "And you're looking for what's left of Jenova. You all think Cloud is dead, don't you?"

Reeve shifted uneasily. "Am I to assume that you feel the same way?"

"Hm," Vincent said again, turning back to the board and resuming his stance. "I admit that given the circumstances I don't understand how anyone could have survived."

"But Vincent!" Yuffie gasped in surprise.

"Although," he continued, "I admit that I count Cloud as a friend, and for that reason I find myself hoping it isn't true." He turned and walked through the group, making to leave the shelter of the canopy. "But I've never been one to ignore the facts."

"So you're saying that Cloud really is dead, is that it?" asked Yuffie.

"I'm saying it's a possibility."

"He…does have a point, you know," Red XIII added, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Yeah. The idea sounds really fucked though, you know? Cloud dead?" said Reno, shaking his head. "Even I feel really weird saying it, yo."

"Indeed," replied Rude.

"Well shit…" said Cid, and for once became lost for words.

Yuffie hung her head. "Just don't tell Tifa."

"She'll find out eventually anyway," said Elena.

Yuffie shook her head, "The only thing keeping her going right now is hope!" she turned to Reeve, "You know how she is! It's one thing if they believe it," Yuffie cocked a thumb at the Turks and Rufus, "But for us to give up hope? If you all go and tell her that you think Cloud is dead it will break her heart!"

"That it will," said Vincent.

"So don't say anything until you know for sure! Until you actually find a body and _know_ that it's him, don't say anything!"

"Yuffie, my personal opinions aren't fact. Until I have proof of everything I believe, my lips are sealed," Reeve replied.

"Well, personally, I think that us fuckin' around in here ain't helpin' things either way," said Cid.

"Yeah!" Yuffie cheered, smiling for the first time since in the explosion. "No matter what you all may think, I'm not about ready to give up. And you know, as much of a jerk as he can be sometimes, Cloud would never give up on us, either!" She then ran off after Vincent, and upon catching up to him, leaped and grabbed onto his arm, pulling to spin him around.

"Yuffie!" he said in surprise.

"And just where do you think _you're_ going, Mr. Negativity? We've got work to do!"

Cid and Red XIII came following up behind them, Cid laughing out loud. "Well, now, what say we get ta work, huh?"

"Yeah, you guys!" Yuffie beamed. "Let's go!"

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**Please leave me comments. If you liked it, tell me. If you hated it, tell me. If you have nothing to say, a simple, "Hey, look, I read it!" will suffice. It's very frustrating to have a ton of hits and no reviews. It makes a girl not want to write anymore…**

**Not to mention the fact that Barret is so hard to write! He has a lot of lines in the next chapter.**


	2. Tragedy

This was nice and quick, no?

I'm not one hundred percent happy with the flow of this one, but I just needed to stop working on it and post it already.

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**The Place Where There is Water.**

**by Nentikobe**

_Now with his horn Assalam struck a barren rock, piercing it to a great depth, and drew forth a gushing spring of life. Wherever those waters flowed, fires were quenched and the Earth was made fertile with a multitude of fruitful things. Great trees rose up and blossomed, and under their shade came beasts both wild and tame. All this was by the intent of the Holy One, and the Unicorn was the instrument of His will. In such a way was formed the Garden of the Unicorn, called Shamagim, which means the Place Where There is Water._

_Unicornis: On the History and Truth of the Unicorn  
__annotated by Michael Green_

**Part Two**

It had begun to rain again as they made their way through the streets of Edge. It was a light rain, but still heavy enough to soak anything still dry thoroughly. Tifa could see people bustling about the streets dancing in it. They were laughing and smiling and hugging one another, celebrating the end of geostigma.

Or, at least, the end of _their_ geostigma.

Barret urged the truck they drove on faster, wanting to reach the bar as quickly as possible. Tifa said a silent prayer to deities unknown that Denzel would obey and go outside.

He had. When they pulled up in the truck, it was to find him standing outside the bar, rain jacket on, hood pulled back, with his dripping hair lying flat against his head. Marlene stood a few feet behind him in the archway over the entrance wearing her coat with the hood tied tight over her head, galoshes on her feet, and holding an umbrella.

Tifa made her way toward the boy as Marlene rushed into the open arms of her father, squealing with delight. She came to a stop in front of him and he looked up at her, tears mixing with rain. The black boil on his forehead stood out, framed by his wet strands of hair. The sadness in his eyes told her that he already knew why she had told him to go out in the rain in the first place.

"I'm sorry," was all he could manage before Tifa knelt down and hugged him tightly. "I know how much you want me to get better." The boy's voice began to falter.

"It's okay, honey. Don't apologize," Tifa said soothingly to her foster child.

"Johnny stopped by to check on us, and…" Denzel's voice broke and was barely above a whisper, " …and he…he told us about the rain."

Tifa responded by hugging the boy tighter and kissing him on the top of the head. He in turn hugged her tightly and sobbed in her arms.

"Why won't it work for me? It worked for everyone else! Why not me?"

"I don't know."

Together Tifa and Barret got the children inside. Tifa helped them bathe while Barret cooked them a nice hot meal, and soon after they were fed the kids were in bed. Denzel asked about Cloud as Tifa pulled his sheets up over him, and Marlene echoed with, "Yeah, when's he coming home?"

"I can't say right now. There's…there's a lot going on."

Denzel turned over to face away from her with a pout. "He said he would."

"I know, sweetie. Just don't think about it anymore tonight and get some rest, okay? Goodnight."

They echoed their goodnights as Tifa kissed their foreheads and left the room.

The children had been asleep for nearly three hours now. It had been nearly two since Barret and Tifa had run out of things to talk about.

Tifa sat at the bar of The 7th Heaven, this time on one of the stools in front instead of behind it, staring at the wall without actually seeing it. Her right elbow rested upon the countertop and her hand covered her mouth in a loose fist. She had been crossing and uncrossing her legs all night and was trembling all over. She hadn't been able to stop since she got home.

Since they couldn't talk about something together, Barret would periodically begin talking alone, telling various stories of his exploits since he'd first left 7th Heaven almost a year ago. Most of the time he'd be half way through a story before Tifa even realized that he was talking. Right now was one of those times.

"So I told him I'd kick his ass if he didn' shu' up. He went quiet righ' then and there. He knew I could take 'im." Another story about the men he worked with out in the oil fields. When had this one started?

In any case, she was catching the punch line of it. Pity she hadn't heard the rest so she could laugh, because Barret certainly was. This time Tifa couldn't tell if it was genuine or forced.

She let out an exasperated sigh and folded her arms on the counter, resting her head upon them. Barret immediately stopped laughing and looked up at her from the table at which he was sitting, unable to think of something else to say that he knew wouldn't upset her further. The sound of the chair scraping the floor seemed magnified ten fold in the silence of the room as Barret stood up and approached the bar. He walked around to the other side so he was facing Tifa.

"Wanna drink?"

Tifa looked up at him, then lowered her eyes. "No, thank you."

"Mind if I…?"

"Go ahead."

She placed her head in her arms again.

"Ya know, Teef," Barret began slowly as he made his drink, testing the waters, "As I remember, the las' time ol' Spiky pulled a stunt like this, we found 'im."

Tifa didn't respond.

Once upon a time Barret had been a harsh-talking man who didn't think twice before he spoke. But time had changed this, and now he tried his best to not be so rash, despite the task being so damned hard. Most of the time he still screwed up royally, but Barret took the woman's current silence as a sign to attempt to go further.

"'Course, 'e'd gone all funny in the head, but then 'e's always been funny in the head."

"Barret," Tifa began softly, lifting her head but still not looking at him, "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but…"

"Sorry," he cut her off.

"No, it's just…"

"Hey, you don' need to say nothin'. I understand."

Tifa extended her arms out over the counter and clasped her hands together. She closed her eyes and fought off the scream of misery she could feel building inside her. She was startled by the sound of a glass being placed in front of her between her arms.

She opened her eyes and stared at it.

"What's this?"

"What, you a bartender and not know?"

"I know what it is, but I said I didn't want anything."

"Well, I figured ya needed somethin' anyway." Barret relaxed against the counter and took a swig of his drink.

Tifa hesitated before taking a swig of her own. She placed the glass down and stared at it for a few minutes. Finally, she said, "I can't stand this, Barret."

The man was silent, not knowing what to say for once in his life.

"I just wish that things could be normal, I just…I don't understand why things have to always be this way. All I ever wanted was a family…"

"Tifa…"

"Please, stay here with the kids. I need to go back and help."

Barret took another swig of his drink. "Uh-uh. You ain't goin' nowhere. 'Sides, Reeve said to stay put."

She closed her eyes to fight back the forming tears. "I…can't. I just can't."

"You ain't in no condition…"

Her eyes were fierce when she looked at him. "I can handle it." Although Barret thought the rising tone in her voice suggested otherwise.

"No way, Tifa. You're stayin' here. 'Nough said."

"Damn it, Barret…" she retorted, standing up. Barret was very taken aback by the sudden outburst; this kind of behavior was very un-Tifa like.

She wasn't at all an overly small woman, but compared with Barret, who easily had at least a foot on her, she wasn't all that large, either. Her anger, however, seemed to cause her to multiply in size ten fold, and an electricity radiated from her that could make a man of any size draw back. But Barret was never one to be easily intimidated. The two of them each stood their ground, narrowing their eyes in hopes of besting the other in this argument. They very well could had remained there for a very long time, if it hadn't been for the small, black plush cat in a red cape and golden crown who chose that moment to come walking into the room on its hind legs.

"Did I come at a bad time?"

"Cait Sith…I mean Reeve…I mean, what the fuck ever, man, I get so confused when ya use this thing," said Barret. "And try talkin' normal for once, will ya? Not this weird accent, wherever the hell it comes from."

"Well excuse me. And thank you for leaving me with the little girl," the cat huffed in its high-pitched voice.

"Eh, she thought you were cute. How can I say no, huh?"

"Hmm." He turned his attention to Tifa. "Everyone is on their way over. The Turks, they…found some things."

"Still helping?" Tifa asked.

"Yes, but I suspect they have their own hidden agenda. Probably hoping to find whatever is left of Jenova's head."

"If there is anything," added Barret.

"Well, we really won't know for sure unless…" Cait Sith let his voice trail off.

Tifa finished for him. "…Cloud is found."

The cat nodded. "Only he knows for sure what all really happened."

She looked down at the stools in front of the bar. "Unless…"

"Until," Barret interjected.

Tifa looked up at him, her eyes soft. There was a tiny hint of a smile wanting to form on her lips.

Neither of them noticed Cait Sith bow his head and clasp his hands, fidgeting.

There came the sound of soft footsteps on the stairs, followed by the entrance of a very groggy six-year-old girl.

"Hey, baby, what's up?" asked Barret, immediately walking over and picking her up.

"Cait Sith disappeared. Oh!" she noticed the small cat standing below her.

"Eh, we was just talkin', darlin'. 'E'll be back upstairs later." Cait Sith cleared his throat very loudly at this comment.

There was a sudden knock on the front door, causing everyone to jump slightly.

"That'll be them," said Cait Sith, a little heavier than he intended.

Tifa walked over to the front door of the bar, unlocked it, and then opened it to allow whoever was on the other side in. The first one to enter was Yuffie, followed closely by Red XIII, and then Cid.

"Hiya."

"Hello."

"Howdy."

All three of them were soaking wet. The two humans removed heavy raincoats and hung them on a coat rack by the door. Tifa didn't like the heavy tones of their voices at all.

She didn't get a chance to dwell on it, however, as two more figures entered the bar. The hoods of their rain jackets obscured their faces, and they were each carrying large bundles wrapped in heavy black fabric. After Tifa shut the door behind them, the first of the two figures pushed back his hood, revealing unnaturally bright red hair.

'Sup, yo?" said Reno, sounding uncharacteristically subdued, despite his attempt at the contrary. The second figure pushed back his hood as well, revealing himself to be none other than Reno's partner in crime Rude, and, in usual Rude manner, didn't say anything, and merely nodded in greeting.

"Why are you guys here?" Tifa asked.

"Yeah, it's nice to see you, too," replied Reno, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, it's just…"

Before she could finish, she heard the loud rumbling of a motorcycle driving down the back alley behind the bar. Everyone was silent, and for an instant Tifa could feel her heart rising in her chest.

Still in Barret's arms, Marlene gasped loudly and twisted herself around to try to look out through the back. There was then the sound of more footsteps on the stairs, these ones being frantic, and a ten-year-old boy appeared at the bottom in a flash, looking wide awake and not the least bit like he'd just been sleeping.

Denzel had been awake the entire time. _More than likely eavesdropping from the top of the stairs_, Tifa thought.

"Is that…is it Cloud?" he asked hopefully. But the boy didn't give anyone a chance to answer. "It has to be!" With a smile he turned and ran into the back room of the bar to the alley door.

"Denzel!" Tifa called after him.

"Tifa, it's not…" Yuffie began. She never finished, but Tifa paid her no mind as she ran after Denzel.

The brown-haired boy was already standing in the doorway, holding it open and staring out into the rainy darkness of the night. His foster mother came up behind him and stared out into the rain as well, straining her eyes to catch a glimpse of the signature spiky, blonde hair.

The motorcycle came to a halt and its driver turned off the engine. It was almost pitch-black in the alley, but immediately Tifa knew who this person must be. He was far too tall to be whom she had been hoping for, and as he grew closer she noticed a glimpse of a red cloak sticking out from beneath a black poncho.

"Vincent…" she began.

"We found it in Midgar. Figured it shouldn't be left there," he responded.

"Yeah."

"I was told there was a shed in the alley to park it in."

"Yeah, I'll…get the key."

Quietly, Tifa went into the kitchen and grabbed the shed key from off of a nail on the wall. She returned and handed it to Vincent, who promptly went back out into the rain to move the bike into the shed. Denzel had moved away from the door and stood staring at the floor.

"Hey, sweetie, don't worry, okay?" Tifa said, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Tifa?" asked Red XIII, who had just entered. "The Turks have something to show you."

"Coming."

Together she and Denzel made their way into the main room of the bar where everyone else was gathered.

Reno and Rude had placed the wrapped bundles on one of the tables and stood beside them. Very carefully she approached them, feeling uneasier the closer she got. Denzel remained beside her.

"Um…" spoke Yuffie.

"You may not want the kids to see this," said Cait Sith.

Tifa looked at Denzel, who shook his head. "I wanna stay."

"Me, too!" piped Marlene.

"Might be good for 'em if they were here. Better to get it over with," said Cid.

Tifa looked up at the two Turks on the other side of the table. "Show me what you found."

Together they unfolded the cloth on their bundles and revealed the contents inside. There was one large sword and five smaller ones. The smaller ones, of course, could all fit together and attach to the larger one, creating one massive blade.

These were Cloud's. Tifa had seen them with him right before the explosion.

All feeling completely left the woman's body as she reached out her hand and touched one of the blades. They had all gone from shiny silver to black, and small parts were melted from the heat. Denzel remained where he was, looking at them and biting his lower lip.

No one said a word. The only sounds came from Vincent as he entered the back door after putting Cloud's motorcycle in the shed, then came into the main room.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but Tifa found herself unable to move. It was as if her hand was glued to the blade she was touching. The movement of Denzel putting his arms around her middle is what snapped her back to reality.

"Where…did you find these?" she finally asked, not taking her eyes from the blades.

"Near the old ShinRa building," Rude replied.

"Yeah. Was a bitch, though. That place was totally destroyed," added Reno.

Tifa absentmindedly began running the fingers of her free hand through Denzel's hair as he hugged her tighter. Behind them, Marlene looked at her father.

"Why doesn't Cloud have his swords with him?" she asked.

"Uh…" he knew there would be no easy answer to the question.

"And why was Vincent driving his bike?"

Barret carried her over to one of the tables off to the side and set her down on it. "Look, I…Cloud, 'e…I really don' know, sweetie," is what he settled with.

"Did you find anything else?" Tifa asked the Turks, still not looking up at them.

The two looked at each other, then Reno replied, "Not a single thing."

"Not even…what you were looking for?"

Rude and Reno were both lost for words.

Tifa finally looked up at them, her face emotionless, if not for the slight glistening of tears forming in her eyes.

"Not even Jenova's head?" she asked, her tone sounding aggressive despite her voice remaining soft.

"Uh…" the Turks said in unison, not sure how to reply.

Tifa began to slowly back away from the table. "The cause of all of this? You couldn't just leave it alone?"

"Now wait a minute!" Reno said in defense.

Tifa backed away from the table further, not taking her eyes off the two men. "You guys can't ever just stop, can you?"

"I don't think you fully understand everything that's happened," said Rude.

Denzel unwrapped his arms from around Tifa's waist and looked up at her.

"Tifa?"

A sudden burst of memories washed through the woman's head. Memories that were all too similar to what was happening now. Memories of pain and loss; of thinking that the entire world could just end, because there was no way it could be any worse than right now. But there was one in particular that stood out in her mind. The memory of how long ago she thought she'd lost everything; the memory of how this all began. She looked down and away from Denzel at the floor.

"Sephiroth, ShinRa, SOLDIER, the reactor…Jenova."

Everyone in the room was watching her now, not understanding what she was saying. The tears finally spilt from her eyes and began running down her cheeks.

"Teef?" Barret asked from beside her.

Tifa looked up again, this time at the swords sitting on the table. "I hate it all."

Her friends each all took a tentative step toward her. Yuffie made to come up and give her friend a hug, but Tifa gave them all a look of apprehension instead.

"I hate it all!" she repeated, then turned and ran out of the room.

Tifa was almost to the alley door when Barret caught her arm.

"Tifa? Tifa! What the hell?"

"Let go of me, Barret!" she demanded.

"No way! You need ta calm down, first!"

"LET GO!" she managed to pull free.

"What do ya think you're doin'?" the dark-skinned man asked.

"I…I just…I can't do this anymore. I can't lose everything. Not again…"

"You're not. Come on, let's jus' go back…"

"No, Barret. No." And with that she opened the door and ran out into the rain.

"Tifa! Stop actin' a fool and get you're ass back in here!" she could here him call after her.

But Tifa didn't stop running. Not for a long time.

"Damn stupid girl," Barret mumbled to himself, opening a closet by the door and digging through its contents.

"Now what the hell was that all about?" asked Cid as he and everyone else entered.

"I can imagine she's pretty upset," Yuffie replied, entering in behind him.

"Well no shit! I mean that whole 'Sephiroth, Jenova, ShinRa reactor' crap, or whatever," Cid spat.

"Excuse me, jerk!" the petite girl retorted.

"Hey!" barked Barret, emerging from the closet with a raincoat in his hand. "No' in front of Marlene, huh?" He pointed at the little girl who had snuck in behind them.

"Where are you going, Daddy?"

"I'm gonna go find Tifa. This her jacket?" Marlene nodded in response.

It was by now that everyone had ventured his or her way into the back room of The 7th Heaven.

"Think you're gonna find her?" asked Reno.

"How should I know?" Barret replied as he began digging through the closet again. "That girl can be as funny in the head as Cloud 'imself sometimes. Usually 'cause of 'im that she gets that way, too."

"I doubt she'll go too far," Red XIII added. "I'll come with. My nose may be of some help."

"I'm coming, too!" cried Yuffie, and she quickly ran to get her coat from the other room.

"Looking for something like this?" Vincent asked, holding out his poncho to the man in the closet.

Barret took it and looked it over. "Yeah, this'll fit."

Vincent gave his version of a small smile, which isn't really much of a smile at all. "I don't think anything else would." He was right, too. Barret was the tallest person in the room and very overly muscular. Vincent wasn't much shorter, but he was definitely much slimmer. Still, the poncho was long and wide and would do its job. There was nothing else that would fit him either way.

"Hm. Where'd you guys get all these anyway?"

The room filled with silence again, a silence that was quickly broken when Reno cleared his throat. He gave a small mischievous grin when Barret looked at him.

"No way."

"A gift to the W.R.O., compliments of ShinRa Incorporated."

"We had extras. Sorry, I didn't think of you," added Cait Sith.

"Whatever, I don' care. I want you two gone by the time we get back." Barret pointed at the Turks.

"What?" Reno asked in disbelief.

"Maybe I don' know what's goin' on but Tifa's not gonna like you bein' 'ere."

"Hey, we helped! We found the kids, didn't we?"

Barret raised his eyebrows at this comment. "What's that mean?"

"Huh?" Both Reno and Rude were puzzled.

"Whatever. Yuff, Red, le's go. Vin and Cid, watch the kids." He turned to walk out the door then paused. "And Cait Sith, play with Marlene." He then continued on out the door, the other two members of the search party following behind.

"The hell with his, I'm outta here," Reno sighed. He and Rude made their way out to the front door of the bar.

Marlene ran to the alley door and poked her head out. "Daddy! I almost forgot!"

Barret stopped and turned around. "What?" he yelled back.

"Tell Tifa everything will be okay! Tell her I saw the Flower Girl!"

"Who?"

"The Flower Girl!"

Barret, Yuffie, and Red XIII all stood looking at her in disbelief.

"Aerith?" Yuffie asked.

"Yeah!" Marlene replied with a laugh. "She's watching over us! I forgot to tell Tifa earlier." The little girl then smiled a very wide smile and disappeared back behind the door.

"Well, now, that's interesting," said Red XIII.

**

* * *

****Mmm…. I'm excited for chapter three. Inspired in part by Princess Mononoke and Kingdom Hearts II.**

**So please review. As I said at the end of Part One, Barret is incredibly difficult to write. At least, I think he is. I am very intersted in knowing what people think of the job I did with him, and whether or not I made Tifa too angry.**


	3. Messenger

**Making progress, yes I am. I am SPOILING you.**

**After much depate with some friends (such as EarmuffedAmazon, who needs to post her Bones fanfiction STAT!), I have decided that, well, yes there is some language in my fic, but there is no violence, and certainly no sexual content, so a rating of M just didn't make sense. My fic is now rated T.**

**Thank you to everyone who is reading this and an extra special thank you to everyone who has left me a pretty review!**

* * *

**The Place Where There is Water.**

_Now with his horn Assallam struck a barren rock, piercing it to a great depth, and drew forth a gushing spring of life. Wherever those waters flowed, fires were quenched and the Earth was made fertile with a multitude of fruitful things. Great trees rose up and blossomed, and under their shade came beasts both wild and tame. All this was by the intent of the Holy One, and the Unicorn was the instrument of His will. In such a way was formed the Garden of the Unicorn, called Shamagim, which means the Place Where There is Water._

_Unicornis: On the History and Truth of the Unicorn  
__annotated by Michael Green_

**Part Three**

The Flower Girl was watching over them. She had always been watching over them. Even now, in the rainy darkness, they could feel her presence.

Even Tifa.

The frantic woman finally came to a stop in an alleyway once she realized she had no idea where she was going, or even where she was. She leaned against the side of a building for support while catching her breath, sobbing uncontrollably as she did so. With her back against the wall, she slowly slid down, letting out a cry of agony as she did so.

She found herself calling out a name. It was a name she would not have expected to say, not earlier. But here, in this rain, she somehow knew the person would hear her, and she knew the person would know how much she felt betrayed.

"Aerith!"

There was no response but for the chills that ran through her body.

"I thought you were there! I thought you were there to protect him! How could you?"

Again, nothing.

"How could you?"

Joy, such intense joy. That is what Tifa had felt on the bridge of the airship. Tifa had thought that it was joy over Cloud's victory, but maybe it wasn't. Maybe, it was over Aerith's. Perhaps Aerith knew what was coming, and was therefore happy that, in the end, she had truly won and now Cloud was finally hers.

_No, she wouldn't. Don't think like that! Aerith was your friend!_

But Tifa didn't know what to think anymore.

She had to admit that she had always been jealous of Aerith. The flower merchant was so beautiful and strong. She was the type of person who could walk into a room and instantly make friends with everyone in it, and rarely did she meet a man who did not fall in love with her.

Tifa knew perfectly well, back when they traveled together in the name of saving the Planet, just who it was that had the strongest hold on Cloud's heart. It was that very fact that had made Aerith's death so hard for Tifa to bare. The jealosy, in time, had turned into a guilt that she could not shake off, no matter how deep she tried to burry it.

But now that guilt was threatening to turn into anger. Anger at losing the love that was never fully hers. Her feelings were unrequited, and no matter what the two of them shared, or the things that she did in the name of their friendship, Tifa knew that a girl in a pink dress would always come between them.

She knew it wasn't on intent; Aerith had certainly never known how Tifa truly felt about her childhood friend. Tifa had even told Aerith countless times that there was nothing between them, being too afraid to allow her heart to be known.

She would never get a chance to reveal it now.

Tifa pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, burying her face against the rain. "Please, please don't take Cloud away," she sobbed.

**_You plea for his life?_**

Tifa's head jerked up and she saw, much to her surprise and horror, a pair of glowing yellow eyes from further down the alley. She quickly stood, taking a defensive stance.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the eyes moved forward.

"Who's there?" she demanded, quickly wiping her face with her hand.

The creature came forward into the dim light that filtered into the alley from the street, revealing itself to be a small, gray wolf.

Tifa's eyes widened in shock. Had this creature spoken to her? It didn't look like any relative of Red XIII's, but what other answer was there? She took a tentative step toward the beast in curiosity.

The wolf merely gazed up at her with it's large glowing eyes, and Tifa couldn't help noticing that, despite the rain, the animal appeared to still be dry.

"Who are you?" she finally asked.

**_A friend._**

Not once did the wolf's mouth move.

Tifa couldn't help but feel like she should recognize the voice, but she could not remember ever hearing it before. She couldn't even tell if it was male or female.

"What did you mean by what you said before? You won't what?"

The wolf cocked its head sideways and gave her a curious look. After a moment its eyes lit up and Tifa swore that she saw it smile at her. It then turned and bounded off down the alley in the opposite direction.

"Wait!" she called, running after it.

The wolf ran fast and was far ahead of her, but every time she turned a corner she saw the distant swish of a tail going around another. Was it stopping to wait for her each time? Where was she being led?

It seemed as if she was being led toward the center of the city where the streets were more densely populated, but as she turned down the main street that would lead her to Monument Square, the site of the riot earlier that day, she saw the wolf turn down another street off to the side that led away. As Tifa followed it finely dawned on her just where the wolf was going; the ruins of Midgar. Perhaps to the site of the explosion where Reeve and the W.R.O. still searched?

But no, the wolf seemed to be leading her away from that area. There were much more direct roads than the ones they were taking.

She finally came to a stop at the edge of the town, leaning against the side of a building to catch her breath. The wolf had finally gotten too far ahead for her to see it, but she knew perfectly well where she was. This was the road that would lead straight down into the old sector five slums.

When Tifa looked up she saw that the wolf had come back. It stood in the light of a street lamp a few feet away.

"Where are you taking me?" she panted, her words barely audible in the intensifying rain.

_**I am showing you where to go.**_

"Why?"

_**Everyone else must come this way.**_

"Everyone else? I don't understand."

The wolf turned again and bounded off down the road into the slums. Tifa stared after the animal in disbelief, still trying to regain her breath. She then reluctantly pulled away from the wall and made her way down into the slums.

It wasn't an easy road to travel. It was very steep, and once it got a short ways away from the new growth of civilization it fell into disrepair. It was mostly made up of gravel and chunks of tar and concrete hastily thrown together without care. It was slow going, and the rain turned the finer gravel into mud, making the road slick and dangerous to walk on.

The wolf was waiting for her at the bottom. When Tifa saw it she took off in a run, wanting to catch up to it before it got too far away again. However, she did not see the smooth, mud-covered rock that she stepped on with her right foot, and before her mind had time to register that she was falling, she found herself flat on her back and staring up at the rainy sky.

Closing her eyes, Tifa let out a cry of frustration. She was sore, tired, wet, and now completely covered in mud. She had no idea where the wolf was leading her or even exactly why she was following it in the first place.

She sensed a presence standing beside her and blinked in the rain, barely making out the figure of the wolf in the darkness. She closed her eyes as she once again began to cry.

"Why are we doing this?"

The wolf did not answer.

"Please, just leave me here."

**_No one will be left behind._**

Tifa rolled over away from the wolf and propped herself up into a sitting position with her arms. A flash of lightning revealed her hands to be completely submerged in mud, but she didn't care.

"No one? No one at all?" she asked in a shaky voice. "And just who qualifies as no one, huh? Me for some reason?"

There was no answer.

"So why me, then? What about everyone else? What about Cloud? And Denzel? How come the rain can heal everyone else but not Denzel?"

_**The first rain washed away any taint that it touched. We did not cause this new rain.**_

Tifa bowed her head and began to sob. She felt a presence next to her again and assumed that it was the wolf come up behind her, but this time she felt hands rest on her shoulders, and she heard a very distinct high, soft feminine voice, one that she definitely knew she had heard before and would never forget.

"Please don't be so angry. This isn't like you."

Tifa's eyes went wide and her sobs stopped immediately. She held her breath, afraid to breathe out.

"You know I would never willingly cause you pain."

Another flash of lightning revealed a shadow on the ground of the woman behind her, but when Tifa turned to look upon her lost friend, no one was there.

"Aerith?"

Only the wolf remained, its head cocked to the side, continuing to stare with its bright yellow eyes. Tifa slowly stood, and when she finally got to her feet the wolf took off again. But now Tifa knew where they were going.

Before long, she found herself standing in the doorway of an old abandoned church. It was such a relief to finally be out of the rain. She took a few steps inside, her shoes squishing as she walked.

Tifa had been expecting total darkness once she stepped inside, but there seemed to be a soft glow that illuminated the entire sanctuary without actually casting off any light. Looking down she noticed muddy foot prints and hastily took her shoes off.

The wolf was standing further down the main isle between the pews staring at something Tifa could not see. As she approached, however, she gasped at what she saw before her.

She had been in this church many times before. The wolf stood at what had once been the edge of a flowerbed. Now it was the edge of a pool. Tifa came up beside the animal and squatted down beside it, stretching out her hand to touch the water.

The heavy rain fell in through a large whole in the roof, causing the water to ripple. Despite this, the water was perfectly clear and light enough for her to see the bottom. This appeared to be the source of the soft glow that lit up the sanctuary.

When she looked up at the wolf, she noticed that the it wasn't staring at anything at all. Its eyes were closed and its head was bowed, as if in prayer.

"What happened to the flowers?"

The wolf kept its head bowed and remained silent for a few moments. Tifa became afraid that she may have interrupted its prayer. But then the wolf opened its eyes and looked up across the pool.

**_Taint_**.

"Taint?"

_**Destroyed by one who was tainted. The Planet wishes to be rid of them. The rain brought about their death.**_

"Whose death?"

**_The remnants of her legacy._**

"Her?"

_**The Calamity from the Skies.**_

"Calamity from the Skies? Jenova! You mean those three silver haired men?" The wolf bowed its head again.

Tifa nearly fell over in her excitement, managing to catch herself with her knees on the ground. "So they're dead? You know this?"

_**Mm.**_

"What about Cloud? Where is he? What was that explosion?"

Again the wolf remained silent.

Tifa slammed her fists on the floor. "Answer me, please!"

_**A decision has not yet been reached.**_

"About what?"

_**Life or death.**_

With that, the wolf turned and began to walk down the isle toward the entrance.

_**Baptism in the holy waters of Shamagim erases all sin; all taint. This is a holy place once more.**_

"Wait!" Tifa cried out. "Don't leave! Please! If you know where Cloud is tell me! Where do I find him? How do I save him?" But the wolf kept walking.

"I BEG YOU!" she screamed. She turned to face the entrance, still on her knees. She put her hands out in front of her and bowed low. "On my hands and knees I beg you. Please tell me!"

There were a few moments of silence.

_**You humble yourself for him?**_

Tifa swallowed hard but did not move from her position. "I would do anything for him."

_**How deeply do you care?**_

"I love him." This was the first time she had ever admitted the fact out loud to anyone.

There was silence. Whether the wolf was still there or not, Tifa did not know, but she dared not look up, lest it might believe she wasn't sincere.

She then heard the soft steps of padded feet and saw the edges of furry paws in the outskirts of her vision. The wolf stopped directly in front of her, looking down. Tifa did not meet its gaze.

_**I am only a messenger. **_

Tifa did not reply

_**I will let the judges know that which may persuade them. For now, do not fear. He is not alone where he is. He has friends.**_

"Who?" Although Tifa already knew.

Perhaps the wolf sensed this, for it did not answer, but instead turned and again made it's way toward the entrance. Tifa slowly raised her head and watched the beast go. Once at the entrance, it turned to look at her. After a few seconds, however, Tifa got the impression that she was not whom it was looking at. She turned around and sure enough, on the other side of the pool, stood another creature.

It was something she had never seen before. It was white, and larger than the wolf yet much smaller than a chocobo. Through the curtain of thick rain that fell through the ceiling Tifa had a hard time making out exactly what it was. But there was one thing that was certain; it had bright green eyes that stared back at her with a feeling of gentleness. She couldn't see them clearly, but the image surfaced in her mind.

Tifa stared at the creature for a good long while, and couldn't shake the feeling that she knew those eyes well. She stood and made to walk around the pool for a closer look, but the creature turned and quickly bounded through the door in the back of the sanctuary and was gone.

--------

"Hey, Denzel," said Marlene as she walked into the main room of the bar. The boy had not gone into the back with the others. He was sitting at one of the tables with his head resting on his folded arms. Reno and Rude had not even noticed him sitting there when they had made their exit.

"Denzel?" She stopped beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Everything's going to be okay. Remember what I said before? The Fl…" Before Marlene could finish, though, the boy looked up at her.

"Marlene, I…"

Without thinking, Marlene took a step back away from Denzel as he fell out of the chair and onto the floor. Thick black liquid oozed out of the boil on his forehead. The little girl's scream brought the two men and the cat that remained in the building into the room, only to find her crouching on the floor over her fallen friend.

"He needs a bandage!" she managed through her tears.

"What the hell?" cried Cid. "Where are they?" But Marlene had begun crying too hard to answer.

Vincent quickly made his way over to the two children and knelt down on the floor. "Show Cid and Reeve where the bandages are."

Marlene was momentarily distracted by her confusion. "R…Reeve?"

"The cat," he replied. "I'll bring Denzel upstairs."

She sobbed again.

Vincent gently scooped the boy up in his arms and looked down at Marlene. "You need to be tough. Crying won't help. Show them where the bandages are."

Marlene remembered how, a couple months previous, she had witnessed Denzel have an attack for the first time. Tifa had sat on the edge of his bed dressing the discolored spot on his forehead while she stood in the doorway, crying. Cloud had walked up from behind and knelt down beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I know it's scary, but you need to be tough if you want to help. Denzel can't get better if you don't. Understand?"

But not long after that, Cloud had left them. He had left because he, too, was sick with the stigma. All these people, they needed help. Geostigma made them weak, so they needed those who weren't sick to be strong. Otherwise they would never get better.

And then there was the Flower Girl. She was with them tonight to make sure things turned out all right in the end. How could that fact be forgotten so easily? With this thought, Marlene whimpered, then looked up at Vincent and nodded in understanding.

Vincent stood and proceeded to carry Denzel up the stairs to what he thought must be the room he shared with Marlene do to all the toys scattered about. He placed the unconscious child on one of the beds and covered him with blankets. Very soon after Cid, Cait Sith, and Marlene entered carrying the bandages. To the surprise of them all, Marlene insisted on dressing the infection herself, claiming that she had done so many times before.

"I do it all the time. I just got scared, but I'm not anymore!" she said in defiance, and did a very fine job indeed of placing the bandage on Denzel's head.

"So, got a soft spot for kids, huh?" Cid asked teasingly of his enigmatic comrade.

"Hm," Vincent replied, "Someone had to take control while the rest of you panicked."

"Hey, I didn't panic," the pilot retorted.

Vincent did not answer, but merely turned and left the room.

--------

"Anythin' Red?" Barret asked of the beast standing a few feet ahead of him.

"The scent is going cold from the rain, but I think she went this way," Red XIII replied, cocking his head towards a street at their right.

"I sure wish we'd brought flash lights. Why is this place so dark? Shouldn't a city have more lights?" asked Yuffie, coming up from behind Barret.

"What? You're 'ninja skills' no' include findin' your way in the dark?" he asked.

"You're not funny," she replied.

"Perhaps I may help," said Red XIII. He raised his tail up in the air over him, and the ever-constant flame that burnt on its tip grew brighter. He looked up at his human companions and smiled. "I've learned to control it, and the rain can't make it go out."

"Nice," said Barret, "Now let's go."

The three of them proceeded down the street and continued on until they came to another intersection.

"Aw, which way?" asked Yuffie.

"She's nearby," Red XIII replied. "Down this way."

The three took another right and made their way slowly down the street; Red XIII leading the way with his nose pressed to the ground.

Not very far down the street Red XIII stopped abruptly, lifting his nose to the air and sniffing. Twenty feet ahead of them the road began to slope sharply down into the slums of Midgar.

"What's down there?" Yuffie asked.

"Tifa," Barret guessed.

* * *

**Three chapters, boom, boom, boom. But starting this weekend they may not come so quickly. Not only am I moving, but I'm going back to school, so please bare with me. I know I've spoiled you all so far, but just don't think that I'm ever giving up on this one!**

**And I'm totally copping out on Cait Sith. I can't write Scottish accents (and when, by the way, did Cait Sith become Scottish?).**


	4. Reminiscence

Yes, yes, I know, I know, this one's been a long time comin'. I apologize. :'(

Just remember this: we are all fans of Square. We should all be able to deal with long delays by now, right?

Special shout-out to Earmuffed Amazon who helps me cut the mold off of my cheese (that's a metaphor).

* * *

**The Place Where There is Water.  
**by Nentikobe

_Now with his horn Assallam struck a barren rock, piercing it to a great depth, and drew forth a gushing spring of life. Wherever those waters flowed, fires were quenched and the Earth was made fertile with a multitude of fruitful things. Great trees rose up and blossomed, and under their shade came beasts both wild and tame. All this was by the intent of the Holy One, and the Unicorn was the instrument of His will. In such a way was formed the Garden of the Unicorn, called Shamagim, which means the Place Where There is Water._

_Unicornis: On the History and Truth of the Unicorn  
annotated by Michael Green_

**Part Four**

Barret made his way down the street and began the descent into the slums. Yuffie and Red XIII followed, with the light of Red XIII's tail slowly chasing away the blackness.

It was very slow going. Barret slipped and slid and cursed at the mud and the rain.

"Difficult for humans?" Red XIII asked.

"Humph," was all Barret managed in reply.

Yuffie gave a loud, "Ha!" before replying, "Maybe for _Barret_ it is, but for us ninjas? Piece of cake!"

"Oh really?" the beast asked in amusement.

Yuffie nodded and gave a slight bow. "Observe." With that Yuffie took off ahead of her comrades, prancing and skipping down the steep slope as she went.

"Don' trip, now!" Barret called after her in sarcasm.

Now near the bottom of the slope, Yuffie quickly spun around and stuck out her tongue. It was then that her feet both slipped out from under her and she went down, catching herself with her right hand on the ground, both feet spread out wide to her sides.

The young ninja's eyes went wide as she realized she had just averted disaster. She quickly recovered from her mishap when the other two approached, however, smiling at them and raising her left hand in the air to pose.

"Ta da! I made it!"

Barret slid to a halt in front of her. "What you talkin' about? You slipped."

"Did not!"

"Uh-huh."

"Did not! I did that on purpose! It's called a _pose_!"

"No, it's called pretendin' to pose to hide your sorry ass slippin' in the mud."

Yuffie leapt to her feet. "Shut your trap!" She stuck her tongue out again.

Both Barret and Red XIII chuckled and walked past her, leaving the girl fuming.

"It was really a pose!"

Barret's cell phone rang and he laughed as he reached into his pocket to get it. "Whatever. Yo!"

Yuffie pouted as she crossed the few feet between them, but stopped when she saw the look on Barret's face. Red XIII had his ears perked and was listening intently.

"No, no' yet, but we think we're close. We'll head back as soon as we find 'er. Jus' hold on 'til then. Later." He hastily hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket.

"What's up?" asked Yuffie.

"Denzel jus' had an attack. We need ta find Tifa, stat."

Yuffie gasped as Red XIII put his nose back to the ground. "This way!"

The three of them took off again as fast as they could across the remains of sector five, calling out wildly to their missing friend and each wondering just how the night could possibly get any worse.

--------

"Hello?" Tifa called into the darkness of the back room, but there was no response. Whatever the creature was that she saw, it was long gone from this place.

Even still, Tifa found herself filled with a curiosity that she couldn't seem to shake off. There had to be something in this church for her; something that could perhaps give her the answers she sought.

In the two years since the first defeat of Sephiroth Tifa had never taken the time to thoroughly explore this church. She knew Cloud had, but he never seemed to like talking about it.

To her left was the bottom flight of a wooden staircase that led up to the rafters of the sanctuary. Much of the upper part of the wall in this room had fallen in, and Tifa could tell, even in the darkness, that the stairs caved in partially only a few feet up; no doubt caused by meteor two yeas ago. There would be no way to get up there.

_So there's no point going that way_, she concluded upon surveying the structure.

To her right, however, was a doorway. It immediately caught her eye when she turned around, and instinctively she made her way over.

Tifa very gingerly tried the handle of the door and found that it opened. She made her way inside slowly, checking for hazards in the darkness. But this room, it seemed, had been spared any damage from when meteor had come and caused the pieces of the plate to fall in on itself.

The water's soft glow that had filled the sanctuary seemed to drift in shortly after she entered, and it didn't take long for her eyes to adjust and allow her to see the contents of the room. Sitting on a table in the center was an old oil lamp. Upon checking a few of the drawers built into one of the sides she found a pack of matches and lit it, allowing herself more light to see by.

Tifa lifted the lamp and used it to look around the room. There really wasn't much to see besides upturned chairs and ripped up cushions, dust and cobwebs, and fragments of glass from a chandelier that had hung from the ceiling.

These Tifa bent down to search through, lifting the items and carefully stepping over the glass so as not to cut her feet. She let out a breath of disappointment when lifting the tattered remains of an old plastic tarp off of a couch revealed nothing.

She returned to the table in the middle of the room and began ruffling through the drawers on its sides only to find old pens, pencils, matches, and various other papers that meant nothing to her. Upon lifting the lamp for another look around the room, however, she noticed a bookshelf in the far corner of the room. Her interest piqued, Tifa made her way over to it.

Using the light of the lamp, she slowly read the spines of each book, pulling out the ones with nothing written to see the covers. There were a few bibles, various hymnals, and other religious texts of the same nature.

Tifa frowned. Every church contained these very same things. She wasn't sure just how these books were supposed to help her. But just as she was beginning to consider the idea of leaving, she noticed another book near the bottom of the shelf.

It was definitely older than the rest, with stains on the fabric-bound cover and strings hanging off in shreds. There was no writing on either the spine or the cover. Tifa took the book over to the table and set it down to read.

She flipped through the pages, hoping to find some clue as to what this book was about. On one of the pages in the beginning a name jumped out at her: Shamagim. That's what the wolf had called this place.

"Could this be…?" Tifa didn't finish as realization dawned on her like the morning.

The slums of Midgar were all comprised of eight villages that had, long ago, formed an alliance and built one large city. Each village had been assigned a number and designated as a sector. No one knew the original names of the villages. There were no records of life before Midgar.

But this book contained just that; records. Very old property records. All of them were hand-written.

Flipping back to the beginning, Tifa again found the page where she first saw Shamagim. It was part of a list of eight different names:

1.) Wilon

2.) Raquia

3.) Machonon

4.) Maon

5.) Shamagim

6.) Zebul

7.) Lomalagi

8.) Araboth

The first thought to cross Tifa's mind was why it was that she found the book. It had to mean something, and the only one she could think of who could tell her was the wolf. She looked wildly around the room and found a torn piece of the old tarp that had covered the couch. She quickly wrapped the book up in the tarp and proceeded to leave the room with it.

On her way out of the church Tifa saw the wolf. It had taken up position at the main entrance, where it lay staring out at the rain. Tifa walked up to where she had left her shoes by the door.

"So you are still here," she said as she sat down and slid on her right shoe.

The animal looked at her, but didn't reply.

She began to tie the laces. "I found a book back there. I think it was about the village that used to stand here."

The wolf looked at her again.

_**Shamagim?**_

"That is it, isn't it? It had a bunch of property records."

**_Is that so?_**

She began to tie her left shoe. "Yeah. I mean, that's what it looked like to me. I didn't read the whole thing yet, though."

**_Read it._**

Tifa paused and looked at the wolf. "You were hoping I would find it, weren't you?"

**_It helps that you did._**

"Where exactly are you leading me here? When am I gonna start getting some answers?"

The wolf looked back out at the rain.

**_Not my place._**

Tifa sighed. "Yes, I know, you've made that clear. But it would make things so much easier if I had some shred of hope to hold on to."

**_Hold on tightly. Don't let go._**

Tifa felt her temper begin to slip again. "What, so I can wake up tomorrow just to find out that you couldn't convince these so-called 'judges' of yours and that Cloud isn't coming back and that there's no cure for Denzel? Why do you have to talk in riddles?"

**_None shall be left behind._**

Tifa shook her head. "There you go again."

"TIFA!"

Her head jerked up at the sound of a familiar voice calling her name.

"YO, TEEF! Where the hell you at, girl?"

She rose to her feet and peered out the church doors and into the darkness. Not too far away she could make out a glowing flame and three figures; two human and one not.

**_You're friends came to find you._**

"Yeah, they did."

**_Blessings._**

"Blessings?" Tifa asked.

But when she turned her head the wolf had disappeared.

"Tifa!"

She quickly glanced around the church for a sign but saw nothing.

"Wait! You can't leave me like this! I still have so many questions!"

But the church was silent save for the sound of the rain splashing into the pool through the roof.

Exasperated, she sank to her knees, grabbing the book and hugging it tightly to her.

"You better let him come back to me."

Silence.

"Do you hear me? Take that message to your 'judges'!"

"Tifa?"

She turned her head slightly so as to see the figure of the girl standing in the doorway.

"Omigod! Tifa! Tifa!" Yuffie cried as she ran around to her front. She kneeled down and seized her friend by the shoulders. "Are you okay?"

Tifa looked up at her. "Yeah, I'm…I'm fine."

"Barret! Nanaki! In here!" With that Tifa heard the soft pat of Red XIII's paws followed by the loud stomp of Barret's boots.

"The hell you doin', girl? Makin' me drag my ass out here after ya. You're gonna catch a goddamn cold in the rain like this," said Barret.

"I'm sorry," she replied meekly. "I hope you don't get sick, too."

Yuffie gave a snort of laughter at the comment and Red XIII lightly chuckled. Barret merely narrowed his eyes.

"I don' get colds. I knock them suckas on their ass. They can't touch me," he replied.

Yuffie and Red XIII each gave a small chuckle at that comment, but he paid them no mind. His attention now was focused on Tifa, and he thought that he could tell, in the dim light of Red XIII's tail, that she might have managed a small smile. He walked forward and reached his hand out to her.

"Now get up. You got worried kids waitin' on ya. One of 'em needs ya now."

"Now?" she asked.

"Denzel ain't feelin' too hot." A look of worry flashed across her face. Barret continued, "He's okay, but we need ta get back."

Tifa looked up at the man before her, then took his hand and allowed herself to be lifted to her feet. Without saying a word, Barret took her jacket out from under his poncho and wrapped it around her, pulling the hood up over her head.

"You really had us goin', ya know that."

Tifa looked at the ground and nodded her head. "Yeah."

"Oh Tifa!" was all Yuffie managed to say before the petite girl flung herself upon her friend and wrapped her in her ams. The two embraced, and then Yuffie hastily helped Tifa get her arms through her jacket.

"You're making me feel like a little kid," Tifa joked.

"Well, we all need to be taken care of some times, right?" asked Red XIII.

"Yeah! And…I don't mind. It's the least I can do!" Yuffie chimed in.

Tifa managed a small smile and looked down again. "Thank you, and…I'm sorry."

The other three didn't respond, but merely looked at her.

"I shouldn't have run off like that. I guess…I just needed out. It was too much." She raised her head and looked at them. "I just always thought that, out of anyone, in the end…" her voice cracked and she looked down again.

This time, it was Barret who approached her. He placed a hand on either one of her shoulders. "Yo, Teef."

Tifa lifted her head once more, beginning to cry again. "I just always figured he'd be the last one standing." She leaned into Barret as she cried. Taken by surprise, he awkwardly hugged her close as she began to sob into his shoulder. Yuffie came up and hugged them both, while Red XIII rubbed his head on Tifa's leg like a cat.

The four of them stood there like that for a long while until Tifa's muffled sobs began to lighten from exhaustion.

"I got a message from Marlene," said Barret.

"What's that?" Tifa asked.

"She said she saw Aerith."

Tifa pulled away and looked up at him.

"Yeah. She referred to her as 'The Flower Girl,' but that really couldn't be anyone else, right?" Yuffie smiled.

Tifa stood silent for a moment, reflecting on what they said.

"Yeah, I think…" She turned and looked down at the opposite end of the sanctuary. "But I still don't quite understand what it all means."

"Huh?" Barret and Yuffie asked in unison.

"I saw a wolf. It lead me here, and it talked."

"Like Nanaki?" asked Yuffie.

"I am not a wolf," Red XIII said in defense.

"What are you then?" the ninja inquired, but was quickly shushed by Barret.

"No. It was a normal wolf. ("I am normal, just not a wolf," added Red XIII.) I…I was upset. I…was talking to the rain. I think it was replying to what I was saying. Maybe."

"What did it say?" asked Barret.

"A lot of things. And I'm so confused."

"What were you saying?" came Yuffie.

"I…I was asking that..." Tifa paused.

"You do not need to say it if you really don't want to," Red XIII interrupted, slowly walking forward and beginning to sniff around. "Well, I certainly don't smell any wolf, but…how strange."

"What?" Tifa asked.

The beast looked up at her. "It's almost like some type of flower." He sniffed again, and looked back at her. "Yes, definitely more of a floral scent."

"There used to be flowers in this church. They grew wild in a hole in the floor."

"So wait, this is the church?" Yuffie asked.

"This was her church. And I…I found a book here." She lifted it up for the others to see. "I think it's a record of something important."

The three humans stood there in silence for a few moments starring at the book. They might have stood there even longer, though, if Barret's cell phone hadn't started ringing. He hastily dug his hand in his pocket and pulled it out, recognizing the number of The 7th Heaven.

"What up?"

The other three stood there watching him, listening to the conversation.

"What? Okay, hang on, we'll be there soon. Yeah, we found 'er. We're on our way back. Later."

"What's wrong?" asked Yuffie.

Barret looked at Tifa. "It's Denzel."

Her eyes went wide. "How is he?"

"'E's asleep, but it sounds bad. It's gettin' worse. We better get back."

Tifa shook her head. "How could I do this?"

"It wasn't you, Tifa. But we can worry about it later. Right now Denzel needs you," said Red XIII.

She stared at the animal before replying. "Yeah, let's go."

No longer crying, Tifa moved through the slums with renewed vigor, spurred on by the thought that one of her charges was at home, sick and in pain, needing her care. The steep slope seemed like nothing to her, and the streets of Edge were all a blur. The group ran nearly the entire way there.

When they finally arrived, Tifa threw off her coat without even noticing where it landed and immediately made her way up the stairs to the bedroom at the very top. Waiting for her there were Cid, Vincent, and Cait Sith, along with Marlene who was sitting in a small chair next to one of the beds. In the bed in question lay Denzel, unconscious, the bandage over his forehead soaking through with black liquid.

"Tifa!" began Cid, but she didn't hear him. She was acting on pure motherly instinct now. The only thoughts occupying her head were thoughts of the young boy before them.

Tifa sat down on the edge of the bed opposite Marlene. "Denzel?"

"I'm sorry, Tifa. The black stuff keeps ruining the bandages. I can't make it stop. I keep changing it but…"

Tifa lifted her right hand and placed it on Marlene's cheek. "Shh. It's all right, sweetie. You're doing a good job." She could tell that the girl had been crying.

Marlene nodded. "I bandaged him up just like you taught me."

Tifa smiled reassuringly. "I'm very proud of you." Marlene smiled back.

"Tifa?" came a faint voice from between them.

"I'm here, Denzel, everything is fine. I'm sorry for leaving you like that."

"It's okay," he replied. Hearing the boy say that nearly broke her heart.

She took his nearest hand in hers and kissed the knuckle. "Just get some rest now, okay? I'm not going to leave you again."

Denzel nodded and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep almost immediately.

Tifa stood up from the bed and made her way to the door. "I need to change," was all she said.

She made her way out the door past the others, turned, and went into her own room, which resided on the top floor next to the kids'. She quickly removed her wet clothes, put on a dry outfit, and grabbed a towel she had laying on her bed. When she reentered the stairway, she noticed that everyone had moved downstairs. She followed.

"Hey, Cid," she began in a tired and empty tone, rubbing the towel over her hair, "Would you mind making some hot tea, please?" It was hard to believe sometimes, but he did make some of the best tea she'd ever tasted. A skill he no doubt learned from his fiancé, Shera, a woman Tifa had always liked.

"Sure thing," he replied. "What kind?"

"Surprise me," her voice trailed off as she went back up the stairs.

--------

The horizon had begun to grow lighter before anyone had been able to get to sleep. The kids were tucked away in their beds, Tifa and Yuffie had both crammed into Tifa's, and Vincent had taken the spare bed in the delivery office while Barret and Cid slept on the couch and recliner in the living room. Red XIII curled up on a rug in front of the couch, and Cait Sith, who had been powered down for the night, was tucked in with Marlene, who had grown quite fond of the stuffed, mechanical cat.

The alarm went off early for Tifa. She hit the reset button and rolled out of the bed and into her slippers. Almost immediately Yuffie gave a loud snore, flopped over onto her back and took up the entire space. Tifa gave a small laugh.

However, that laugh died when she got downstairs and glanced into the main room of the bar as she walked past. There, still sitting on the same table, were the swords. She might have been able to convince herself that none of the previous night's events had ever happened if it wasn't for them staring her in the face.

She felt her eyes sting with tears, but she fought them off and made her way to the bar telephone. Sitting beside it was a small book where she wrote important phone numbers. She opened it and traced a list until she came to the one she wanted: the clinic where she had been taking Denzel for his illness. The reception desk would be open by now, and she needed to get Denzel in for an evaluation. The attack he had the night before was the worst he'd had since he first arrived at the bar.

Tifa found herself saying a small prayer in her head.

_Please don't take Denzel, too._

"City of Edge Medical Center. How may I help you?" asked an overly cheerful voice on the other end of the line. Tifa was so wrapped up in her musings that she jumped at the sound.

"Oh, um, uh, I need to make an appointment. With Doctor Cartwright. For Denzel."

"Well, unfortunately it looks like there aren't any more openings today. We've been getting a lot of calls already this morning."

_Of course_, Tifa thought. People were probably frantic to be checked by a doctor who could confirm that they were cured, or maybe give them hope if they weren't.

"But, if you're calling with a concern involving geostigma, you might as well just come on down."

"What? But you said," Tifa didn't finish.

"Lot's of funny things going on this morning, what with that rain and all. I assume you are calling about the rain."

"Y-yes, yes I am."

"Well, if you want to get in today, just come on down and wait in the lobby and someone should be able to see you at some point. But I've gotta warn you, it's already turning into a mad house down here."

Tifa tried to imagine the sight. The "City of Edge Medical Center" was a lot smaller than what its name let on. The two short years since Meteor had not yet allowed the town to acquire an adequate hospital.

"Is that okay with you?" the voice asked. "I could make an appointment but we're all booked for the next couple of days."

"No, we should be fine. We'll take our chances and make our way down there and wait."

"Okay then. Have a nice day now. Buh-bye!"

"Thanks."

Tifa hung up the phone and then turned to survey the bar. She didn't think she'd be able to handle dealing with any customers today, so most definitely it would remain closed. It was mostly all tidy and clean, except for the chard blades sitting on the table in the center of the room.

Should she just leave them there? She didn't know what else she should do with them. Yet they couldn't just sit there. So she decided that perhaps they would be best off in his room. Tifa took the dark fabric and wrapped the blades up the best she could. One bundle alone was fairly heavy for her; she still sometimes marveled at just how strong Cloud really was.

Tifa opened the door as quietly as she could so as not to awaken Vincent, but to her surprise she saw that he was already awake and pulling on his shirt.

"You're up early," he commented.

"I could say the same for you." Vincent didn't reply to this, but merely grunted and grabbed his red cape.

"What are you doing with those?" he finally asked as Tifa set the swords down in a corner of the room.

"Well, I figured they really shouldn't stay in the bar, and, this is his room and all."

"Hmm," was all he managed in reply.

"I need to go get the rest."

"I'll get them," Vincent interrupted. "You look like you need more sleep."

"But I…"

"I'm awake now." With that he was out of the room, leaving Tifa to stand there, bewildered. His personality really could be very surprising at times.

Tifa took this moment to glance around the room, looking at all the things that Cloud had left behind when he took off. Her eyes eventually stopped upon his desk, and the framed photograph that sat there. It was a picture they had taken with the kids not that long ago. She walked over and picked it up, staring at every detail.

Her eyes began to sting again, causing her to hastily put the frame down. Vincent reentered the room carrying the rest of the swords and placed them in the corner by the others. He turned to leave again, but Tifa stopped him.

"Vincent?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you awake now? 'Cause Yuffie has…kind of taken over my bed, so…"

"Then sleep here."

"And could you…wake me in two hours?"

"I will." And once again, he was out of the room.

Tifa closed the door and crawled into the bed. It was a fairly small bed, with a black tube frame, and the mattress was thin with no box beneath it, but it was surprisingly comfortable. She curled up in the blankets and lay there for a while with her eyes closed, unable to fall asleep quite yet.

This bed, as odd as the thought sounded to her from the moment it popped into her head, felt like Cloud. To the untrained eye it could appear to be too hard to sleep on, yet once you gave it a chance it was soft enough to be comfortable. He had once said that it was good enough for him, since he really didn't need anything more to be able to sleep at night. Cloud was always that way with everything. Everything except his beloved Fenrir model motorcycle.

Tifa thought back to the day he'd brought it home. Earlier that day, he had called her to discuss just how long someone could live for free at The 7th Heaven. She had groaned like a mother on the brink of giving in to her child's desperate pleading for a new toy.

"Standard military issue back during the war with Wutai, but ShinRa stopped making them after it was over. It can have a mounted weapon rack, and it's capable of switching into reverse on the fly," He had explained to her the day he'd brought it home.

"But…" she remembered asking him, "Where is the weapon rack?" Cloud's Fenrir didn't seem to have one.

"It was damaged and needed to be removed. There's a place outside of town that sells the parts needed to make a new one," Cloud had replied.

She folded her arms and cocked her eyebrows at this statement.

"So you're going to spend even more money on it?"

Cloud went silent then, and began scratching the back of his head; a sure sign that he was feeling embarrassed.

"Well…my deliveries take me to dangerous places. I need my swords. My halter can't hold them all."

"You need _all_ of them?"

"Maybe."

"Uh huh."

"There will be room in there for packages, too. And the back seat lifts up for storage as well."

"So you got this thing strictly for business reasons?"

"Of course."

To the untrained ear, Cloud would have sounded completely serious and all business during the entire conversation. But Tifa knew better. She had spent entirely too much time with him to not suspect there was a little more to it.

Tifa couldn't help but smile at her memories of the day. If only everyone could see the side of Cloud that she sometimes saw. As serious and aloof as he oftentimes was, when it came to motorcycles, he would talk about them with the smallest hint of child-like excitement that only she seemed to be able to detect.

She even remembered how, when they were kids growing up in Nibelheim, Cloud had a small dirt bike he would ride around town and up in the hills. That is, until the day a group of local bullies had decided it would be fun to ride it themselves, and then run it off a cliff when they were done. A couple of those kids had been her friends, and they had always picked on Cloud when they were children. Not once had she ever stepped in to put a stop to it.

Tifa rolled over in the blankets, trying to think of something more positive.

Another interest Cloud had had was materia. Normally being a man to get straight to the point, Cloud could sometimes stray uncharacteristically away from his point when trying to explain to her all the intricate details of how the magical spheres worked, usually wanting to explain to her some other aspect related to the topic before moving on. Tifa laughed at how a of couple times he'd actually stopped and, very sheepishly, asked her what it was he was talking about in the first place.

However, he was always straight and to the point when explaining it all to Barret. But then, Barret never really understood materia theory all that much, and Cloud had never had the patience to go into the intricate details with him the same way he had with her.

Tifa even remembered how Cloud had told her that back when he first went off to join the military he'd tested out of the first level in the required theory of materia class, and that it was this reason that allowed him to meet his friend Zack. Zack, it seemed, was none-too-good at materia theory, as were a lot of other candidates for SOLDIER.

Sadly, a superior knowledge of materia theory wasn't what moved a person up in the ranks of SOLDIER. In fact, many moved on without knowing anything at all besides basic use.

Tifa rolled over again and smiled to herself. Thinking back she didn't care about any of Cloud's shortcomings or failures. No matter what achievements he made, if he wasn't the same person she knew today, it wouldn't matter. She liked his strengths, but more so his quirks. Quirks like motorcycles, materia, and swords.

All in all, he was just a typical guy.

But the swords…

Tifa's eyes flashed across the room to where Cloud's six blades resided in the corner, charred and partially melted. Beyond repair, most likely.

It didn't take long for the happy memories to have a negative effect. Tifa finally allowed herself to cry again, now that she was alone. Her tears were silent and they slowly rolled across her face and onto the pillow. Her last thoughts before she fell asleep were of the wolf. Why had it taken her to the church? Why was she expected to find the book? What did it all mean?

Was Cloud alive?

* * *

And that is part four. 

If you noticed, I took a couple liberties with the plot. Keep in mind that I have not yet played Dirge of Cerberus. In fact, I started writing this before it was even released, so if anything I write is disputed in that game, well, I'm sorry.

The biggest liberty, though, is the Zack one. Hey, it could have happened like that. We won't really know for sure until Crisis Core comes out and, honestly, who knows when that will happen?

I haven't played Before Crisis either, since it's a Japanese-only cell phone game. Probably never will. Makes me sad. Playing as a Turk? It's like a dream come true. :'(

And If anyone knows how it is I came up with the names of the villages I'll give you…a snarglefarf! (don't ask, my roommate made it up) Extra kudos if you get sector seven. :P


End file.
